About Us
Who are we?
The Ashland County Yesteryear Machinery Club is chartered by the State of
Ohio as a non-profit organization, with a membership of over 400.
Our membership is composed of people with a common interest - the preservation
of our past through the restoration, display, and operation of antique farm and
power equipment.
This is a broad statement, and it reflects the equally broad cross-section of
our membership:
-
Some of our members own ten or more antique tractors that probably look better
than the day they left the showroom floor over sixty years ago.
-
Some have just one old tractor that is still earning its keep every
day on the farm. Although well cared for, it could not be mistaken for
"restored."
-
In addition to farm tractors and implements, a large portion of our membership
is primarily interested in lawn and garden equipment, from the earliest
walk-behind garden tractor to semi-modern riding mowers and garden
tractors.
-
Some shun anything with any sort of self-propelled mechanism as being too
modern for their interests, and would rather listen to the rhythmic sound of a
hit-and-miss stationary engine that probably produces less horsepower per pound
than the horse or human power that it replaced. The Buckeye Oil Engine, our
club logo and the background for this page, is an example of this.
-
Still others own no equipment at all, new or old, but are simply
interested in keeping the Golden Age of farm equipment alive.
Our History
Our club was founded by a group of people interested in the preservation of
equipment which represents the heritage of the people involved and the local
area. It was started by having a group of interested people putting on a
display at the Ashland County Fair. From this humble beginning, the club has
grown to over 400 members.
Club Activities
A club is nothing but a list of people unless its members do something. Our club
activities include:
Annual Show
This is by far our big event each year, and is held the second weekend in July.
Each year, we feature a diffferent brand of tractor. This does not mean that
this is the only brand on display. Some members have displayed their equipment
every year since we began in 1991.
After several years of displaying equipment only at the Ashland county fair, the
decision was made to have an independent show. The first shows were quite
meager, but through the experience gained, it has evolved into one of the finer
shows in the area. Our 2001 show had over 200 pieces of equipment on display.
You can see a number of pictures of recent shows in our photo gallery
area.
The show is held on the Ashland county-West Holmes Career Center grounds, which
through the process of mutual cooperation with the club, has been developed
into an excellent facility for the show. The entire show is geared to the
display of materials and equipment which can be appreciated by fellow
exhibitors and the viewing public. There is no competition for equipment
displayed. The goal is to have the best show possible for the benefit of the
most people. The participating members extend a sincere welcome to anyone that
has an interest in farm and power equipment of the past.
A meal is served on Friday prior to the show for any exhibitors wishing to
attend. The attendance at the show averages between 3000 and 3500. There is no
charge for admission or parking. We publish a show program for each show
and have over 350 sponsors who place ads in the book. With the money collected
we are able to pay for much of our show expenses (we also accept donations at
the show) and participate in several school and community projects.
Swap Meet
We have tried to keep our annual show a non-commercial event. This is balanced
by our swap meet, held the last Saturday in April.
Community Service
We owe our existence to the community, and we remember and acknowledge this by
giving something back to the community. Recent community service activities
include:
Ashland County - West Holmes Career Center Projects:
Our club's relationship with the Career Center has been long and mutually
beneficial. The school has a large, wooded area that has provided an ideal area
for our annual shows. In appreciation for allowing us to use their facility,
the club has done several things for the school, including:
-
Provided the material for the construction of a 20' X 40' pavilion on the
school grounds.
-
Provided the material for the renovation of a building on the school grounds
which included a trussed roof, interior painting and installation of a ceiling.
(The construction of the above projects was performed by the Resource
Conservation Class at the Career Center.)
-
Installed a service pole and electrical outlets at 6 locations on the
grounds.
-
Purchased a farm wagon chassis and built a bed with seats for passengers. This
wagon is used at the annual show to tour the school's Tree Farm and also by the
Conservation Class during the school year.
-
Donated a 200 gallon tank on a trailer for the Conservation Class
-
Awarded two $300 scholarships to graduates of the Conservation and Graphic Arts
Classes. This is to be done annually.
-
Donated money to the levy committees for promotion of the issues.
-
Donated to the Ashland High School FFA for their help with parking at this
year's show.
In appreciation for our support and cooperation, the Club was selected to
receive the Pentagon Award from the Ashland Co.-West Holmes Career Center. This
award is very prestigious and is greatly appreciated by the club. Our
relationship with the Career Center has been one of mutual cooperation in which
both parties are of benefit to each other. It is the desire of the club to
maintain this relationship in the years to come so that both organizations are
of benefit to each other.
Community Projects:
-
Donated $500 each to the Red Cross and Salvation Army for the Disaster
Relief Funds following the 9-11-01 events.
-
Assembled approximately 1000 Collector Memorial Pins which were given away at
the Ashland County Fair in memorial of the tragic Terrorist Attack on Sept. 11,
2001.
-
Donated to the Ashland County Sheriff's Department and the State Patrol
Memorial Fund.
-
Community Activities:
-
Earth Day Display
-
Holiday Parades
-
FFA Toy Show
150th. Ashland County Fair
-
Parade
-
Heritage Days Display
-
Career Center Lawn & Garden Display
-
ATTPA Tractor Pull Hall of Fame Parade
-
Machinery Display at the fair for the past 18 years
-
Supported the Jr. Fair Livestock Sale for 9 years.
Spouse Appreciation Catered Dinner
Our members know that sometimes we ask our spouses to sacrifice a lot for us to
pursue our interests. To recognize this, a dinner was held at the Duane
& Pat Hastings Museum in appreciation for their support during the year.
Motorcoach trips
The club sponsors several motorcoach trips each year to activities and events
of interest to our members. The
Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show in Portland, Indiana has become
an annual favorite. The cost of these trips is very reasonable, and trips are
not limited to club members. Anyone with an interest is welcome.
For more information on upcoming motorcoach trips, please visit our
Motorcoach Trips list page.
Where are we?
Ashland County Yesteryear Machinery Club is based in
Ashland County in north central Ohio. However, our membership base
extends to a much larger area.
Membership Information
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in old farm and power equipment,
regardless of your location. Membership dues are currently only $10.00 per year.
If you would like to become a member, please visit our contacts
page.
In addition, both members and non-members can sign up for our
email newsletter at no cost.